


Envy (A ministory from Down and other Short Stories)

by TheGirlDetective



Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Aftermath of a Case, Coma, Detectives, F/M, Hospitals, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:35:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24648064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlDetective/pseuds/TheGirlDetective
Summary: Deirdre shares her hate for Nancy in a nasty way.
Relationships: Nancy Drew/Ned Nickerson
Kudos: 1





	Envy (A ministory from Down and other Short Stories)

**Author's Note:**

> A.N. This is NOT my opinion, I just wanted a Nancy Drew story from Deirdre's perspective. This is my first AO3 submission, but it was originally on Wattpad under the same author name (TheGirlDetective)! Please review, I LOVE comments!

**Deirdre**

I hate Nancy Drew. She's a klutz and she's forgetful. She's sweet and everyone loves her. She's lost in her own world. It's not _that_ that I hate, though. Well, not as much. It's that everybody thinks she's the best thing since sliced bread. Or iPhones. The last thing I want to be doing right now is sitting in a hard hospital chair watching somebody coo over the poor hurt girl's freakin' perfect, angelic, pure innocent face.

Somebody like her father.

Somebody like her friends.

Somebody like my own mom.

Somebody like... Ned.

\---

"Deirdre, darling, I need to talk about something with Mr. Drew," Daddy told me this morning. We all know where Mr. Drew has been most of the time this week. With his precious daughter.

"Oh, I do hope Nancy is all right," Mom cut in. My parents have no idea about my feelings for Nancy.

Which means we have to fricking visit my enemy in the hospital.

\---

See, Nancy is a suck-up who gets everyone to like her by helping them. Or as she likes to say, an amateur detective. And she wins her case every time, resulting in a better River Heights and usually an enemy or two, plus a whole bunch of allies. And I _resent_ her.

The last snoozefest was no different, except when it was. She outsmarts a villain, the police come and arrest him, Nancy gets her picture taken and Ned writes an article about how incredible she is. (He's a junior reporter for the River Heights Bugle. _He's_ incredible.) Then Nancy would blush, say she couldn't take all the credit, and I'd roll my eyes and cringe on the sidelines.

But that's not what happened this time. From what I hear from every RH citizen, she was trapped in a small room with her latest psychopath. The police barged in the door, but I guess it was too late, which might have been hard for her friends who have a knack for saving her just in the nick of time. Every. Single. Time.

Anyway, our crazy buddy was standing over Nancy, eyes wild. Nancy was lying deathly still on the ground, clearly beaten senseless.

They loaded her up onto a stretcher and drove her to the hospital. Nancy's father and friends were so overly scared for her but were still convinced she'd wake up in an hour or two; that it'd be like every other time. But she didn't.

She didn't open her freakishly blue eyes Ned so adores the next day either.

Her father would remain by her at all times possible, talking to someone he knew couldn't answer. She never moved that day as well.

The next day was the same.

As was the next.

And that leads us up to now.

\---

"Hey, Nance? I-it's Ned." Ned was holding Nancy's limp hand in his. She was lying motionless; basically the only movement coming from her was her chest moving up and down. Breathing in, breathing out. Every once in awhile she'd softly sigh and Ned would smile his adorable crooked smile. 

She looked like she was only sleeping if you ignored the machines. 

"We're really worried about you. I'm not sure if you can hear us, but the doctor said hearing loved ones' voices could help. I just wanted to..." Ned's voice cracked and he stopped talking. George Fayne, who I hate almost more than Nancy, looked at Ned sympathetically then started speaking. I was in a gloomy room with beeping machines, a bed made of cold-looking metal, and not to mention chock full of people I hate. Well, most of them. Not Ned. Ned's too good for Nancy.

"What are you knuckleheads doing?" I interrupted Bess's gibberish.

"What do you mean?" she asked, hurt.

"I mean, Nancy gets attention all the time. Does she really need to be spoken to while she sleeps? Why the heck are you nimrods wasting your time talking to the messed-up redhead when she can't answer?" I smirk. 

"Messed up- what the ### is your problem?" George spluttered. "Why do you hate Nan so much? Is poor DeeDee jealous?" I glared at the use (And the user) of my childhood nickname. Ned put a calming hand on George's shoulder so she wouldn't rip me to bits. "Give me one good reason you hate Nancy."

"How long have you got?" I retorted, smiling smugly.

\---

I wanted to say everything. How she doesn't deserve Ned; that I do. How she gets glorified for breathing and walking and everything she could possibly do. How I would kill to be noticed like that. How I might be jealous of her eyes. How I might be jealous of the support she gets from the entire planet. How I might be jealous of the world she lives in, doing what she loves, and nothing else. How I might be jealous of the fact that she's Nancy freakin' Drew.

Yet most of all, how in another world we might be friends.

But instead, I insulted her. Insulted a girl lying on a hospital bed who could do nothing to defend herself; who knew nothing of what I said and would say.

\---

"I think I know why Nancy retains the _detective_ stuff, but not the normal stuff. And you know too," I said smugly.

"We are _not_ starting that. You bring that up again..."

"You know," I continued, tapping my chin in mock thinking. "Ever heard of a Retard Face?" I know it's actually a baby's face, so shut up. 

_She has big blue eyes with squiggles in them and long lashes. Sure... they're unusual for someone who looks like Nancy, but they're just so beautiful. Why am I making something bad out of that; out of different? Because I've earned the reputation of a popular snob and bully? Have I let myself become a monster?_

"You son of a-" George was cut off by Bess's hand over her mouth. But Bess's face was hard and angry as well.

"I think it's the eyes," I say. "Her face makes her look like a little kid. Like a _Special Ed_ kid. Yeah, it's definitely the face." _A gorgeous face I'm so jealous of._

_"_ And remember what Nancy did with the car? How'd she miss the tree?!"

"That was a freaking accident," George seethed. Bess was looking furious and Ned wouldn't look at me at all.

"Well, I think she's beautiful," Ned whispered sadly, stroking Nancy's flawless face. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Making me want to throw up.

No, making me want to say more.

"And you've seen her staring into nowhere, her eyes blank. You'd think she's thinking, but really? Empty-headed people can't-"

"Get the ### out of here before I escort you personally." No one was holding back George this time and when she stood with her fist clenched, sheer rage on her face, I could tell she meant it.

I left the room and sat on an equally cold, hard, chair, wondering what my problem is. _I'm just so jealous. They can't see that I'm too proud to admit it, though._

_\---_

Carson was happier then he had felt in days. He got a call that Nancy had murmured something unintelligible earlier. That, the doctor had told him, is a definite sign she's waking up soon. Hours later after calling everyone he believed should be there to see her open her eyes, he and those people were sitting on uncomfortable hospital chairs.

Even more hours passed. The Nickersons, Faynes, and Marvins, along with Hannah Gruen all wanted to go home. 

They probably would've if Ned hadn't given an excited cry.

\---

**Nancy**

First, I thought I was being taken. I distinctly felt hands grabbing my shoulders. Then I woke up on a hard cot. Dad was speaking to me but his words were all garbled. It made no sense whatsoever.

Then I was being chased by a mob of people. They were throwing things and one object crashed into me. I fell over and the crowd stood over me, beating me. The beating kept going on and on.

But now, I felt like I was swimming. Yeah, swimming. That's it. I dunked under and I heard voices, muffled voices. But they kept becoming clearer. Too clear. Too loud. I popped my head out of the water, only to make them worse.

I slowly opened my eyes, confused. _Where was the water?_ Everyone was talking, terrifying me for some reason.

"Nancy!" Dad's face was in front of mine. 

"Someone get the doctor!" A person shouted.

"W-what?... Dad- what's going on?!" I was frightened, so frightened. I pushed back on what turns out was a bed, only to agitate something on my arm. _A wire of some sort?!_ I looked around to find even more devices. I started breathing hard and fast and a machine by me started beeping.

"You're okay, baby," Dad said soothing me. 

"No I'm not!" I cried. I moved my head to see Bess, George, Ned, and their parents. Well, Mr. Fayne wasn't there. He must've gone to get the doctor, as that person had yelled. _Why?!_

Nothing made sense. Why am I in a hospital? My brain felt foggy and a loud throb pulsed through my skull. And I also wanted to throw up. 

"Please! Everyone just SHUT UP! LEAVE!" I shouted, startling them. I suddenly felt so angry. Unexplainably angry, but somehow even more scared. I sat bolt upright, eyes wide, only to find a searing pain shooting through my ribcage. 

"Nancy! Lie back down!" Dad shouted back. "You'll hurt yourself!" My ears rang. I let myself fall back down, hyperventilating. I wanted out. I wanted answers. I wanted to know why all this noise led to me silently crying, my hands covering my face. What I didn't want was to be confronted by a doctor brought in by Mr. Fayne. 

"Give her some space!" A doctor told everyone quietly but sternly. Everyone but Dad and Hannah slowly left the room, thankfully. She walked up to me and started talking to me quietly. I looked up at her. She had a needle in her hand. 

"Hey," She says softly. "I'm Doctor B. It'll be alright. We'll give you answers in a bit," she said, fiddling with the syringe. "From what I heard, you'll want them." She winked. "But for now, we need you to calm down. I get why you're frightened, though." She wiped a small pad on my arm like the other doctors do before you get a shot. I look at it and realize I'm wearing a hospital gown.

Her voice soothes me. It's quiet and kind. That's what I seem to need right now. But it's the needle she's filling with fluid that unsettles me. 

"What's that?" I ask, finding my voice timid. 

"This?" My doctor replies, pointing at the needle. 

"Duh." There goes timid Nancy. 

Doc B doesn't seem to mind. Dad gives me a look, though. I ignore him. "This is just a little something that will help calm you down. You'll be asleep for a while, but after you'll hopefully feel better." I don't want a shot. I don't want to sleep. 

But before I can protest, she jabbed it into my arm. I stare at her, wondering what to expect. She steps out of the room and Dad squeezes my hand, which is shaking. After a moment or so, the world fades and I fall into another fever dream. 

\---

"What happened to her?" George asks no one in particular, slightly annoyed. Why had Nancy just gone nuts like that? She was never that delicate. And George _never_ saw Nancy cry. Ever. The doctor walked out of the room and heard George's question.

"She's just freaked out, that's all. She doesn't know why she's here and probably has lots of questions. I had to sedate her to calm her down; she was hurting herself. And if she offended you, I'm sure she didn't mean it."

_Unlike some people,_ George thinks. Then she remembered something. "Can... can she hear things? Like, if someone said something, would she be able to remember it?"

"It depends," the doctor replied. "Why do you ask?" 

"Just curious," George mumbled. She, Bess, and Ned exchanged a look as soon as the doctor turned to talk to Nancy's father. 

\---

**Two days later- Deirdre**

I was just minding my own business shopping when Drew walked up. That happens a lot. The thing about minding your own business is that Nancy doesn't know how to do that. So she wouldn't realize I was doing that. 

"Deirdre. Hi," Nancy says casually.

"Ugh. You. When'd _you_ wake?" 

"Couple days ago," she says softly, not looking me in the eye like she normally does. She usually just doesn't mind me; just pretends I didn't say something that should make her cry. But I can tell something's wrong from her face this time. "This could end very awkwardly... but..." Her voice trails off. 

"What? I don't want to wast any more time talking to you."

Her voice breaks. "Can you please explain the meaning of 'Retard Face'?" _Oh no._

I try and choke out how sorry I am, how wrong I am, but she's already turning away. 

"I've figured out many things in my time, but I'm still trying to find out when different became a dirty word. I know I am," she states, continuing to walk away sadly. "But I'm not sure how that's a problem."

It isn't. I have the problem.


End file.
